The present invention relates to apparatus for practicing surgical technique, and more specifically to apparatus for use in practicing ophthalmic suturing technique.
An ailment commonly seen in ophthalmic medical practices is that of a tear occurring in the iris of a human eye. The normal operating procedure performed in such cases is to simply close the tear using a square knotted suture. It is, of course, very important that a surgeon performing such an operation close the tear with proper procedure and technique, as failure to properly close the tear may result in irreversible damage to the injured eye. Therefore, the importance of and amount of time a surgeon or student surgeon practices this surgical technique cannot be under-emphasized.
Traditionally, medical students and surgeons hone their clinical operating skills through observing and practicing the actual operation, and with practice comes proficiency. Donated cadaver parts as well as animal parts are typically used to practice surgical techniques. However, since cadaver and animal parts are not always in readily abundant supply, readily available, or readily movable to non-classroom practice sites, there exists a need for practice body parts and tools which can be used to simulate a particular operation technique.